Benazir Bhutto assassination: 2 senior cops sentenced 17 yrs in jail

August 31, 2017, 5:59 PM IST

Rawalpindi: Pakistan anti-terrorism court on Thursday sentenced two senior police officers to 17 years in prison in its verdict on the Benazir Bhutto assassination case.

The court declared former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf an absconder, as per the reports by Pakistani media. It also ordered the seizure of Musharraf’s property. Five others were acquitted in the case.

Former two-time Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto (54) was murdered in a gun and bombing attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, when she came out of a park after addressing an election rally.

According to The Indian Express, judge Asghar Khan gave the verdict in court, where former Rawalpindi CPO Saud Aziz and former Rawal Town SPKhurram Shahzad — suspects out on bail — were also present. Aziz and Shahzad were sentenced to 17 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh each.

The case was registered soon after the assassination, and the trial had seen many ups and downs until it was concluded on Wednesday in Rawalpindi. The anti-terrorism court gave its judgment on five militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror group and two senior police officers.

The five suspects Rafaqat Hussain, Husnain Gul, Sher Zaman, Aitzaz Shah and Abdul Rashid were arrested after the assassination and have been in jail. Then Rawalpindi police chief Saud Aziz and SSP Kurrum Shehzad are also among the accused. Both were arrested initially but released on bail in 2011.